With just
over a week to go before the opening night of “Dick Whittington and his Cat” at
the Bryce in Burneside, everyone is now working flat out to get things ready.
And it seems there is quite a lot still to do…

Programme
notes to be written, final costume alterations to be made, props still to be
sourced and scenery to be built and / or painted. But all that is as naught
compared to the work required by the cast to bring the script to life. The Cast
are still at that in between stage of
knowing most of the lines and most of the moves, but not always being able to
string the two together. And it’s not helped by having to rehearse on the floor
of the hall because the stage is full of scenery being assembled and painted!

Yet each
time the cast run through the scenes, it gets that little bit better, that
little bit sharper and the lines and moves start to gel.

The cast
are getting used to the costumes and the musical numbers are coming along
nicely. That’s not to say anyone is complacent. There are always tweaks to be
made or words to be changed, all with the aim of delivering a show that really
motors along. Nothing kills a pantomime quicker than a scene with little action
and where the “jokes” fall flat. This is where these final rehearsals really
count as they prune any dead wood and
inject life into any scenes that may be flagging slightly.

This is
traditionally the time when nerves and tempers start to fray as cast and crew
come to terms with what still needs to be done and how little time there seems
to be to do it in!

But most
have been here before. In some cases over twenty times before!And for every one of those shows, cast have
traditionally arrived at the period between Christmas and New Year on a sort of
post Xmas downer, convinced it won’t get done in time.

The
conversation goes something like this…

Director: Allow me
to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of
insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster.
Cast Member: So what do
we do?
Director: Nothing.
Strangely enough, it all turns out well.
Cast Member: How?
Director: I don't
know. It's a mystery.

Admittedly
there have been times when the team have run it close – it’s not often cast
members get told to watch out for the wet paint as they go on stage on the
opening night! Or realising halfway through the first Act that the show is far
too long and then proceeding to prune it drastically over the next few nights!

But
that’s the beauty of Pantomime. It’s an organic art form which naturally
evolves over a run. Ad-libs are tried and may become part of the show if they
work. Scene changes become slicker, helping the overall pace of the show. Most
importantly, the cast settle into their roles and become confident with their
lines. And that confidence comes across in the performance as a positive energy
driving the show along. It’s going to be a very busy few days between now and
Dress Rehearsal, but, as has been said many times before, “it’ll be alright on the night”.

Dick Whittington will feature 13 local schoolchildren from Burneside, Windermere and Kendal, including Hannah Griffiths who plays Brian the Cat! The production takes place on Friday / Saturday 9th and 10th January, plus Wednesday 14th to Saturday 17th January 2015. Directed by Mark Crook, the popular panto features a number of songs specially written for the show as well as songs from TV show Glee. Adults £8.00, under 16s £6.00 (Conc. £6.00 14th & 15th only)